Members of many local dance crews were in the house for Tuesday Blend’s event to benefit Renew Yamada. Hypnotix’s hard-hitting routine was followed by some explosive breaking by KnuckleHead Zoo’s b-boys.

There’s a lull before the storm of a show, when the floor is dark and dotted with people awkwardly drinking, waiting for the signal to swarm. At Tuesday Blend, there is no lull. The show starts when the doors open, because almost everyone in line is a performer.

The Details

The Tuesday Blend Project

Monthly on a Tuesday, Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip.

For details on how to submit a project and what's up with the Blend, visit its Facebook page.

DJs EARWAXXX and Phase are threading old Notorious B.I.G. and LL Cool J into new Busta Rhymes and Tyga, a funky sample of the Inspector Gadget theme and anything else with a thick beat. The crowd responds with bursts of krumping, jookin’, popping and locking while they talk. The moves are part of the conversation, and they swell into a dance circle just off the display of street art up for raffle to benefit charity Renew Yamada. And the official show hasn’t even begun.

Hence the Tuesday Blend. The monthly mashup of “everything hip” was founded by local movement the Waterhole KINGS so hip-hop artists could connect and share with a little more structure. But anyone can submit a project with a good shot at making the stage.

“When you’re out in the desert, you have all the animals that come out to socialize and drink at this waterhole. That’s what we wanted to create, an environment where people that have the same interests—art, fashion, music, dance—they all come there to network and hang out,” says Jayar Tolentino, KINGS co-founder and the evening’s co-host. “It’s kind of like a place that feeds everyone.”

The stage show rolls from Korabo Taiko’s traditional drumming to Campfire Music spitting rhymes, singer Rene Ashley styling Adele and dance crews Hypnotix and KnuckleHead Zoo in distinct, controlled explosions. Hypnotix ends with a dancer flying from the arms of his crew like a bullet from a gun, matching the track. It’s a slick metaphor, because on so many levels, I’m blown away.

Hard Rock Cafe on the StripThe world renowned Las Vegas Strip is now home to the most highly anticipated, state-of-the-art Hard Rock Cafe in the world, Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas. Featuring 42,000 square feet of space, the new cafe, located next to the MGM Grand Hotel, provides three-floors of non-stop action and has the world's largest Rock Shop. An interactive "Rock Wall™", interactive "Microsoft Surface" tables, hi-speed Internet access, a contemporary lounge and bar are available, along with patio dining and views of the Las Vegas Strip . A Hard Rock Live multi-function venue on the second floor rocks with concert seating for 1,000, with state-of-the-art, in-house audio visual equipment The cafe also features a built-in stage with an attached Green Room that will be occupied by artists from around the globe.
The restaurant is open from 8:30 a.m. to midnight and the bar/Rock Shop is open until 1 a.m.